Tickets for the event, which was officially launched earlier this week, are available for purchase through the Jack & Jill Foundation on 045 894 538 or via www.jackandjill.ie. They cost €150 each, with a table of 10 secured for €1,500. The evening will kick off with a sparkling wine reception at 7pm followed by dinner and dancing into the small hours.

“This promises to be a glittering night of delicious food, entertainment and dancing, recalling the wildest Horse Show Balls of years gone by and I’m going back to my roots,” said Jonathan Irwin, founder and CEO of Jack & Jill. “On behalf of the 300 sick children under our wing from every community in Ireland today, I want to encourage people to support this wonderful event and, in doing so, raise much needed funds for Jack & Jill and the Injured Riders Fund, which is such an appropriate fund to support also.”

The Horse Show Ball came to fruition following an initiative last year by James Tarrant and Robert Splaine, to design a Dublin Bus fence which was then auctioned in aid of the Jack & Jill Foundation. The fence was later bought by Tara Weston for €3,000 and subsequently donated to the National Horse Sport arena.

Following on the success of that fundraiser, the groups involved decided to organise another fundraiser between Irish equestrian sport and the Jack & Jill Foundation, the result being the upcoming Horse Show Ball.